Women Pro Teams In Wales 'symbolise Positivity'

While nan Welsh Rugby Union's plans to halve nan number of regions person divided opinion, its imagination for nan women's crippled has been met pinch an aerial of optimism.

The governing assemblage wants to move guardant pinch conscionable 2 master men's teams, saying nan existent exemplary of Scarlets, Ospreys, Cardiff and Dragons is unsustainable.

As portion of nan reform, nan 2 remaining teams would person master women's sides.

Each would person a squad of astir 40 home-grown players pinch nan Union pledging "significant investment".

The plans are presently retired for consultation.

Wales women's caput coach Sean Lynn has welcomed nan proposals.

Speaking from nan Rugby World Cup, he said: "It's a awesome of positivity successful nan women's game, I deliberation it's only going to use us."

Lynn would not beryllium drawn connected wherever he would for illustration nan 2 women's sides to play.

The existent amateur Welsh sides (Gwalia Lightning and Brython Thunder) play successful nan Celtic Challenge, but nan caller ones could effort to play successful nan much competitory Premiership Women's Rugby (PWR) successful England.

"As agelong arsenic they're playing," Lynn said, "I request these players playing. I came from nan Six Nations and did a reappraisal and immoderate of our players were not playing capable rugby."

Wales co-captain Kate Williams plays her nine rugby for Gloucester-Hartpury and lives successful Swansea.

She said nan thought of having master women's teams successful Wales is "really exciting".

"Having an opportunity to beryllium a master subordinate and unrecorded successful Wales and beryllium adjacent to your family, wherever you're from and to really link there, is massive," she said.

Wales and Bristol Bears flanker Alisha Joyce-Butchers besides welcomes nan idea, but said nan Welsh teams request to beryllium playing crossed nan border

"I deliberation for this Welsh [national] squad to beryllium arsenic successful arsenic imaginable successful nan future, those 2 teams request to beryllium a portion of nan PWR," she told Scrum V The Warm-Up.

"I deliberation it would beryllium awesome for nan women's game. Two master teams would springiness players a batch much opportunities to travel location and play, and I deliberation that's precisely what we're after."

Former Wales helping Philippa Tuttiett agreed and said "there are immoderate large decisions to beryllium made".

She added: "Initially nan emotive consequence was 'wow this is radical', but arsenic a female subordinate who's passionate astir processing nan female crippled to spot that their could beryllium 2 master women's teams successful Wales, that is immense and precisely what you need.

"It's nan adjacent progression because I situation opportunity 95% of our World Cup squad each play their rugby successful England astatine nan moment; don't get maine incorrect it's a awesome league, but lets person thing present successful Wales."